Repairing Plaster Ceiling Cracks

Plaster applied to wood lath is held in place by the keys that form when it squishes through the lath.

Repairing plaster ceiling cracks. The cause of your ceiling crack depends on various factors such as the ceiling material and the home s age. If there s an issue with the trusses that could create a crack between the ceiling and the interior wall. For finishing you ll need primer and paint. Ask this old house general contractor tom silva helps a homeowner repair a cracked plaster ceiling in an older home.

If the plaster ceiling feels firmly attached to the lath then you can do the same repair as for the small cracks above. Repairing these cracks can be a problem. House settling and temperature or moisture fluctuations in an attic which result in the expansion or contraction of framing members. If it s a small hairline crack you won t have to worry about this but larger deeper cracks will have debris in them.

Following the crack create a v notch by removing the plaster along both sides of the crack cutting at an angle until you see the substrate. Be sure to drive screws into wood lath above. Old houses have wonderful plaster ceilings and walls but foundations shift over time and this leads to large cracks in the plaster. For larger cracks you may need two coats of spackle because of its tendency to shrink as it dries in large gaps so double check before priming and painting.

In this video this old house general contractor tom silva explains how to repair a plaster ceiling. Plaster ceiling repairs are probably a fact of life if you have an older house. Expert advice and detailed instructions on repairing the most common plaster wall and ceiling problems including cracks holes and sagging. Subscribe to this old house.

No matter what the cause you can repair the plaster cracks by using drywall tape and joint compound. Plaster repair is much. If the crack is discolored you could have moisture problems. A ceiling crack is not an uncommon sight in older homes.

Use trowel to spread joint compound onto ceiling covering the repaired area. To repair small cracks in plaster you ll need patching compound medium and fine grit sandpaper a sanding block a putty knife a masonry chisel a paintbrush a rag and a screwdriver. You want to open up the v notch so that it is approximately 1 4 to 1 2 wide at the opening and as narrow as possible next to the substrate material. Repairing small cracks in plaster is easy compared to plastering a whole room.

Step 1 remove any loose plaster that s embedded in the crack.